Piptatherum latifolium

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths green, or purple. Culms decumbent; 90–120 cm long; 4–6 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–6 mm long; entire, or lacerate; obtuse. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 6–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 15–25 cm long; 4–14 cm wide; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches 2–3 -nate; with lower 0.5–0.66 length of panicle. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus curved; glabrous; obtuse; disarticulating transversely; with elliptic scar.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 8–9 mm long; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; exposing palea. Lemma hairs tawny. Lemma apex obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; 12–15 mm long overall; deciduous. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1–1.2 mm long. Anthers 3; 2.2–2.7 mm long; yellow; anther tip penicillate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or ovoid; 3 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.9 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia.

NOTES Stipeae. Freitag 1995.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.